Seal-lock



' (No Model.) v

R. W. GILLESPIE. SEAL LOCK.

,Naf 435,821. Patented sept. 2, 1890.

IUnrTEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT IV. GILLESPIE, OF S'l. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SEAL-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 435,821, dated September 2, 1890.

Application tiled October 29, 1889. Serial No. 328.597.

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT W. GILLESPIE, of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Seal-Locks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speeication.

This invention relates to attachment dcvieesitor lock-fastenings of bottled beer, wine, and other shipping-boxes; and the invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter full y described, and pointed outin the claims.

Figure I is a detail perspective and shows the pendent bracket-boxing that incloses the seal-lock. Fig. II is a detail perspective of the front side piece of the box and shows the double-spririg-barbed snap-catch. Fig. III is a perspective view of the frangible seal in which the spring-barbed catch engages to eiect the locking of the box. Fig. IV is a detail view ot the front side piece of the box and front edge of the closed lid, and shows the springbarbs in position within the brack et-boxin g, t ro n1 which the seal is vacant. Fig. V is a vertical detail section taken on line V V, Fig. VI, and shows a front View of the box and lid, with the lock that fastens the same, and the double spring-catch, in engagement in the f ran gible seal. which is seated in its pendent bracket-boxing. Fig. VI is a vertical section taken on line VI VI, Fig. V, and shows a side view of the parts of which Fig. V shows a trent view. Fig. VII is a top detail view of the lid, and shows the pendent bracket-boxing and the spring-barbed catches entered therein, but the seal absent therefrom. Fig. VIII is a like View with the seal inserted. Fig. IX is a detail view of a modification, part in section, and shows the double spring-catch secured within a boxpoint of a fastening-hook, with the springeatches engaged in a pendent seal.

Referringto the drawings, I represents the body of a box, and 2 the lid to which my astenings are attached.

15 represents the pendent bracket-box that provides a close seat for the frangible seal i6, that seal-locks the box. lhe top of said bracket-box has an angle-Harige 17 around its three closed sides, through perforations (No model.)

1S in which and in the lid screws 19 are seated so as to firmly secure said bracketbox in its cut-away seat 20 in said lid. The lower end of said bracket-box extends beneath the lid and when said lid is closed is seated in the cut-away 2l in the front piece of the box, and a pendent flanged ledge 22 on the front edge of said extension ot' the bracket-box clamps tight against the front of the box, so as to enforce a true registry of the lid to the box.

The frangible seal, which is preferably made of wood, but may be ot any other suitable material, has an extension-seat at its base integral therewith, of a reduced diameter to the surmountingbodyof the seal, which extension of the seal, when the box is locked, is seated within the rectangular slotted aperture 24 in the base of the bracket-boxing. The increased diameter of the body of the seal over that of said extension provides shoulders 25, that rest on the bottom of the bracket-box on each side the slotted aperture 2i. The interior of the seal has a perforate key-hole 2G in its center, which keeps its size for prelerably about one-third the length of the seal and then suddenly enlargesin diameter, (see Figs. V, VI, and IX,) an acute-angle key-seat :Z7 being there formed, on which are seated and tightly heldthe acute-angle barbs 28 of the double loop-spring latch-key 29 When the latch is sealed. The conical heads or points SO of said barb-latches are housed in the conical enlarged locking-chamber 3l, and they slip up slightly farther in said chamber than their ultimate position ot rest t0 allow the points ot the acute-angle hooked barb to spring over the acutely-projecting locking-barrier presented by the acute-angle key-seat 27, and then as said barbs spring outward the said barbed heads, with the double spring-stem 32, with which they are integral, drop slightly, so that the acute points ot the barbs fall back into their acutelyrecessed seats, thereby providing a re-enforced lock that no jarring to the box can by any means accidentally unlock.

The loop or bow of the double springstem of the locking-key seats the doubleheaded rivet 3l, which passes through the perforation 35 in the front side piece of the box, and is there secured by the rivet-heads IOO 36, the said double spring-stein of the keybeing housed in the socket-boxing 2 in the front side piece of the box.

In Fig. IX is shown a modification of the fastener` in which the device is attached to a hook 37, which at its fast end is secured by the staple 38 to one part to be fastened, should it be the lid of the box, a car-door, or any other suitable object to be thus locked, and the loose end of the hook is provided with a box end 39, integral therewith, in which the loop end of the double ,spring-locking key is secured by the rivet 34, as heretofore described, in the attachment of said key when secured within the front side piece of the box, in which the double spring-stein of the barb-key has in that case its housing, except that in the inodication the box-housing is secured to and integral with the point of the hook 37, and When the fastening,- is effected is Wit-h said point inserted within the staple 40, which staple is secured to the body of the box, or the car, or other object to which this modification of my device may be applied to fasten the same. It will also be seen that in this modification the double spring barbheaded locking-key is au exact duplicate of that already described, and, as shown in Fig. IX, the said key locks into an exact duplicate of the seal already described; but in the modification the spring-key and its lockingseal hang vertically pendent, instead of, as in Ithe other case, being vertically erect.

The spring seal-lock is especiallyadapted for use as an attachment device for shippingboxes in which heavy articles are packedsuch as bottled beer and Wine-and which boxes are subject torough handling' in transit, and when breakage of the attachments of the boxes occurs the breakage of more or less of the contents of said boxes is very apt to follow.

The socket boxing 12, that houses the double spring-ste1n`32 ofthe locking-key, is easily made by boring with a brace and bit in the front piece or board of the box, and said bow-loop and double stem of the key is then slipped down into its housing. A transverse smaller bore that passes through near the bottom of the socket provides'the seat for the rivet that secures the spring-key from Withdrawal.

When boxes are made of thin boards, a batten may be attached to the front piece of said box at the rear of the housing of the double spring-latch lock, so as to provide a larger scope for the socket-boxing 12 Without weakening the front board.

I claim as my invention.

1. In a seal-lock, the combination of the double s1i ring-steinbarbed locking-key, the pendent bracket-box, and the frangible seal seated in said bracket-box, in which seal the said barbed locking-key engages, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a seal-lock, the combination of the body of the box, the lid, the double springstem locking-key, with its acute-angle barbs, the bracket-pendent boxing 15, secured to said lid, and the frangible seal that is seated in said pendent boxing and which seals the barbed locking-key, the said seal provided with the tubular key-hole 26, the conical locking-chamber 31, and the acute-angled shoulder key-seat at the junction of said keyhole With said conical locking-chamber, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a seal-lock, the combination of the body of the box 1, the lid 2, the double springstein-barbed locking-key provided with acuteangle barbs, the front board of said box provided with the socket-boxing 12, in which the double spring-loop of said locking-key is housed, the bracket-boxing 15, that is secured to and hangs pendent from said lid andis provided with the slotway 24, through which said barb locking-key passes as the lid descends, the frangible seal 16, provided with the perforate key-hole 26 and conical lockingchamber 31, and the said seal at the junction of the perforate key-hole With the conical locking chamber being provided with an acute-angle expansive shoulder on and Within which said acute-angle locking-barbs engage to lock the box, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

ROBERT 1V. GILL'ESPIE.

In presence of- BENJN. A. KNIGHT, SAML. KNIGHT. 

